Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

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GamerSkull
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Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by GamerSkull » Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:40 pm

Which iteration of Son Goku is your favorite?

Do you like his depiction in original Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, or Dragon Ball Super the best? (or you can choose by specific arcs)
You can argue that he's the same throughout but I feel that he's a bit different in each of these.

Personally, I have always enjoyed him the most in original Dragon Ball. He seemed to have undergone the most growth and character development then. That's not to say I dislike later iterations of Goku but it was far more enjoyable to see him first meet different people and experience the world for the first time...

My least favorite is his depiction in Dragon Ball Super... where I feel that a lot of his more endearing traits from original DB are flanderized and a bit odd for his age.

Plus, to me... Son Goku will always be that kid with the monkey's tail.
Last edited by GamerSkull on Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Desassina » Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:50 pm

My favourite is definitely Buu saga Goku. While he post poned every fight that he would have taken when he was younger, he regained his joy when he fought Kid Buu, and proceeded to rejuvenate himself. Prior to that, he seemed bitter and unwilling to give his all, opting for a "professional" (least time consuming) means to end the conflict. That's why he wanted Vegeta to be his partner on an experiment to face the fat Majin Buu upon showing up. That's why he tried to pass it on to the kids. Goku felt like an academic teacher doing nothing for the market.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Baggie_Saiyan » Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:00 pm

Hmm. While I do enjoy Kid Goku a lot I'd probably have to go Dragon Ball Super it is most he has ever shown as an actual character, he is thoughtful towards his family despite them having no power over him, we actually see just how intelligent he is when it comes to fighting and training for example what better way to hones one skills then have an assassins hit on you? And overall he is just a loveable goofball.

Z is by far and away his worst iteration not helped with him being a plot device for the majority of it, there was so charm to him.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by GamerSkull » Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:00 pm

Desassina wrote:My favourite is definitely Buu saga Goku. While he post poned every fight that he would have taken when he was younger, he regained his joy when he fought Kid Buu, and proceeded to rejuvenate himself. Prior to that, he seemed bitter and unwilling to give his all, opting for a "professional" (least time consuming) means to end the conflict. That's why he wanted Vegeta to be his partner on an experiment to face the fat Majin Buu upon showing up. That's why he tried to pass it on to the kids. Goku felt like an academic teacher doing nothing for the market.
If we're going by specific arcs, then my favorite would be Red Ribbon Army arc Goku... who decides to help Upa and gets to have a touching moment with his grandfather.
(I group the Baba portion into the arc since I don't believe the arc truly ends until Upa's father is wished back).
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by KBABZ » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:20 pm

Kid Goku by far. Specifically, 22nd TB Goku, as he still has his lovable charm, and yet he takes his fights seriously and has started to show his talent for battle tactics.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by ABED » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:44 pm

Baggie_Saiyan wrote:Z is by far and away his worst iteration not helped with him being a plot device for the majority of it, there was so charm to him.
How is he a plot device in Z?

My favorite version of Goku is around the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. He just so sure of himself and his skills.
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Zephyr » Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:53 pm

Definitely beginning-ish of the series kid Goku. He's such a smarmy fucking prick, and he doesn't even seem to realize it most of the time.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Doctor. » Tue Feb 13, 2018 5:26 pm

Saiyan to Namek arc Goku. It was where I felt he had his most interesting arc. Boo arc is a close second.

Not really much of a fan of kid Goku in comparison to his adult self.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Son Perfect » Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:08 pm

1. Saiyan Arc Goku
2. Red Ribbon Arc Goku
3. Goku GT (DONT KILL ME)
I love Gohan a bit too much...

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by TrunksTrevelyan0064 » Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:40 pm

Red Ribbon arc Goku, exploring a world he is adorably clueless about yet utterly invulnerable to.

What makes that stuff so endearing, I think, is that Goku has no real responsibilities yet. He has no family to look after, nor does he need to defend the planet against any homicidal supervillains. He's just a carefree kid on an adventure, having the time of his life.
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by GamerSkull » Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:54 pm

Son Perfect wrote:1. Saiyan Arc Goku
2. Red Ribbon Arc Goku
3. Goku GT (DONT KILL ME)
I actually really like GT Goku actually.

It’s nice to see him a little more mature despite having a child’s body.
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Dbzfan94 » Tue Feb 13, 2018 7:14 pm

1. Kid/Teen Goku
2. Z Goku
3. GT Goku
4. Movie Goku
5. Super Goku

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Dbzfan94 » Tue Feb 13, 2018 7:19 pm

Baggie_Saiyan wrote:Hmm. While I do enjoy Kid Goku a lot I'd probably have to go Dragon Ball Super it is most he has ever shown as an actual character, he is thoughtful towards his family despite them having no power over him, we actually see just how intelligent he is when it comes to fighting and training for example what better way to hones one skills then have an assassins hit on you? And overall he is just a loveable goofball.

Z is by far and away his worst iteration not helped with him being a plot device for the majority of it, there was so charm to him.
I feel the complete opposite. Super Goku has no charm to him that DB-Z Goku had.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by sunsetshimmer » Tue Feb 13, 2018 7:20 pm

Kid Goku / GT Goku

Never been fan of adult Goku except SSJ4 because he looks cool and isn't afraid to kill just like Goku in original series.
Adult Goku became more stupid, boring and soft.

GT making him a child again was the best decision ever made.
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by KBABZ » Tue Feb 13, 2018 9:21 pm

I like GT Goku as well due to the unique mix of his more serious adult side and his carefree kid side, even if it doesn't make sense in the story.

I also really like RRA Goku, but I opted for 22nd WMAT due to the battle tactics thing.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by ulisa » Wed Feb 14, 2018 1:02 am

1: Android/Cell Goku--I know a lot of people aren't fond of Goku in this arc but I think it was a perfect finisher to his development. It always seemed to me that Goku moved from simply a martial artist in this arc to being a master/teacher in his own right. Seeing him pass his skills and knowledge onto Gohan was great and especially around the ten days before the Cell Games, there was a maturity about him that we really didn't see too much before hand.

2: GT Goku--I really like how they characterized Goku in GT. The kid body allowed for them to play with some of the goofy moments and mannerisms but at the same time, he does NOT act the same as Kid Goku. Because he isn't Kid Goku, he's adult Goku in a kid body which makes for a far more interesting dynamic. He has the experience of his entire life and it comes out in the way he talks, the way he responds to things and I have no problem believing that this Goku, despite the younger body, has an entire lifetime of battle expertise.

3: Saiyan/Namek Goku//Movie Goku-- I tie these two because I really think I like them about the same. My favorite Z movies tend to take place or would have taken place in that same time frame so I suppose that counts. I love this Goku because while he has matured from his teenaged self and definitely has grown, he still has a lot of room to grow some more. He has a lot more pride in his Earthling heritage, which is something I do miss in the later arcs, but it's also fun seeing that Saiyan pride grow.

I tend to like Kid Goku and Buu Goku about the same. They're fun to watch, for different reasons, but they aren't my favorites.

Least Favorite--Definitely Super Goku. While I appreciate what they were going for--recapturing Kid Goku--it just doesn't work once he's an adult. He's developed over the past few arcs and this just doesn't reflect any of that. As a result, what might have been cute and funny for Kid Goku just comes across as weird and awkward with Adult Goku. I can see why some people like it but it just comes across as flanderization of the character to me.
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by TheShadowEmperor8055 » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:00 am

Not sure this counts, but Goku all the way from DB before Z and Saiyan Arc + Namek Arc. I just loved him throughout DB before Z and in Z, I felt he definitely grew in the Saiyan arc, such as him coming to the realization he was the beast that inadvertently killed his adoptive grandfather, and his characterization when he was a Super Saiyan for the first time is something I'll never forget.

Least favorite would be Dragon Ball Super Goku. I hate his flanderization in Super. Him being Luffy stupid at this age just doesn't work.

Though, an honorable mention for my least favorite Goku would be Android/Cell arc Goku. I know Vegeta got flak for prioritizing his rivalry with Goku over Bulma and his son, but hell, it worked for Vegeta because being a prideful asshole was his character. That wasn't the case for Goku, on the other hand... I mean, Jeezus, him just sitting there and watching his son get hammered by Cell disturbed even Vegeta, not to mention getting lectured by a former demon about his own son. I understand it was in good-faith on Goku's part because he was confident in his son exploding and winning that fight, but man that was still a gamble.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Jackalope89 » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:01 am

Agree on GT Goku. He still loves having fun and a good fight, but he's also matured in certain ways as well.

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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by ABED » Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:04 am

TheShadowEmperor8055 wrote:but man that was still a gamble.
The only gamble they had. Gohan was the ONLY one with the power to defeat Cell. Why does everyone seem to forget that?
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Re: Favorite Iteration of Son Goku

Post by Firebolt » Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:21 am

Favourite : Buu arc Goku. He's usually a very silly character, but he becomes almost frighteningly serious when it matters.
Least Favourite : EOZ Goku. I hate the fact that he literally abandons his family and friends to train with Oob just to fight him one day, not to mention after he didn't even meet his friends at all for 5 years according to Bulma.

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